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Which of these is the correct song title and artist’s name of a number eleven hit it in 1965?

"Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass. American singer Fontella Bass only had one more bite of success in Britain, she had a minor hit with “Recovery” in 1966. The bass is a sea-fish much prized by both fishermen and by cooks. The minnow is a small freshwater fish belonging to the carp family. Kylie Minogue took “Put yourself in My Place” to number eleven in 1994. Her 2000 number one hit “Spinning Around” was obviously a reference to a pike-fishing excursion. Chubby Checker was most famous for his ‘twist’ songs which of course included “Let’s Twist Again”, a number two hit in 1961. The chub is another member of the carp family which grows to around 8lb (4kg). Salmon Dave’s big hit “Sole Man” is indeed a soul classic. What’s that… it should be Sam and Dave with “Soul Man”? My memory gets worse! The sole is a flat-fish; species include Dover sole and lemon sole. There are several species of salmon, most species are migratory, they return from the sea to their home rivers to breed.

London band Squeeze struck a minor hit in 1980 with which of these titles?

Pulling Mussels (From The Shell). "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" was one of Squeeze's later hits. Their most successful UK single was "Cool For Cats" which reached number two (and might have gone one better if it had retained its original title of "Cool For Catfish", hmm). Mussels are often referred to as shellfish but are not fish at all; they are bivalve molluscs. The octopus is also a mollusc but belongs to a different order to mussels, it is a cephalopod in the order Octopoda. "Octopus's Garden" is a track from The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album written and sung by Ringo Starrfish. "Rock Lobster" was an early hit for The B-52's. Procol Harum's first big hit was "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which was a number one hit in 1967. The whiting is a small relative of the cod.

Which of these groups had a number six hit in 1980 with a cover of “Tom Hark”?

The Piranhas. “Tom Hark” was originally a number two hit way back in 1958 for the splendidly named South African outfit Elias and his Zig-Zag Jive Flutes. Sadly it was their only UK success. The Piranhas took a tongue-in-cheek version of the song into the charts during the Summer of 1980. They also took a version of ‘fifties classic “Zambezi” into the charts a couple of years later. Shoals of piranhas inhabit the rivers and streams in the Amazon basin and other South American rivers. They are rightly famous for their predatory nature although some of the wilder claims are probably exaggerated. Barracudas are another predatory fish. They form large shoals in the sea and are fearless when attacking prey much larger than themselves. The Barracudas had a hit in 1980 with “Summer Fun”; it was their only hit single. The Seahorses were a band formed by ex-Stone roses man John Squire. There are several species of marine seahorses, they are a remarkable fish for several reasons not least in that it the male not the female which incubates the eggs. Sturgeons are large migratory fish, their eggs are the source of caviar. No group called The Sturgeons have had any commercial success in Britain but they could well have been a spin-off from Doctor and The Medics, Hmm.

Which band had a successful single in 1996 with "Novocaine for the Soul"?

Eels. Eels debut single reached number ten in the UK but probably might have fared even better had it been called "Novocaine for the Sole". Eels are long snake-like fish, many species are wholly marine such as the moray and the conger. Other species are migratory and travel vast distances between the sea and freshwater habitats in order to breed. The roach is a freshwater fish related to the carp however I believe Papa Roach is more likely to be named after the cockroach. The Carpenters were a brother and sister act from the 'seventies but they had nothing to do with carp (the fish). The stickleback is a small fish found in ponds and streams in Britain; it is the 'tiddler' most likely to be caught by children. Nickelback are a Canadian hard-rock band.

Which of these guitarists had a Taste for "Catfish" in 1969?

Rory Gallagher. The Irish band Taste was formed in the late 'sixties, a founder member was the much-missed guitarist Rory Gallagher. Their eponymously named first album came out in 1969. It is a great mixture of blues, rock, folk and country which comprises self-penned numbers and covers. There is a terrific version of the blues standard "Catfish Blues" which the band just called "Catfish". It was always a favourite number at live performances; see if you can find a copy of "Taste at The Isle of Wight", brilliant stuff.

"Sell Out" is a song by which American ska/punk act?

Reel Big fish. "Sell Out" was a 1996 release by the Californian outfit Reel Big Fish. Julian Bream is one of the best-known names in classical guitar-playing. The bream is a large freshwater fish related to the (you've guessed it) carp. Sid Vicious played bass (the guitar not the fish) with The Sex Pistols. A squid is a member of the mollusc family. The Coral are a band which were originally formed just off the coast of Hoylake UK.

"Dizzy" was a number one hit single for which of these fishy characters?

Tommy Roe. Tommy Roe hit top-spot in Britain with "Dizzy" in 1969. Roe is a name for fish eggs (and one of the very few things I cannot eat, ugh). Harry Belafonte was dubbed 'The King of Calypso' and will always be remembered for his version of "The Banana Boat Song", although his musical achievements show a much wider range than that. The halibut is a large flatfish (and much more to my taste than roe). Feargal Sharkey was lead singer with Irish band The Undertones before going solo. David Gray is an English born singer/songwriter who had massive success with his 1999 album "White Ladder". A grayling is a species of freshwater fish related to the trout.

Imagine that Tony in "West Side Story" wanted to take his new love, Maria, to his favourite fish restaurant. Which of these songs would he be most likely to sing to her?

There's a Plaice for Us. Stephen Sondheim's "There's a Place for Us" is a touching number from "West Side Story". It has been covered by many people but the most successful version in Britain was by PJ Proby. The plaice is a flatfish usually found in relatively shallow water. "God Only Knows" was a successful single by The Beach Boys. "Days Like These" seems to be a popular song title but the version I know best is by Billy Bragg. The dace is a small freshwater fish related to the carp. Vera Lynn sang "We'll Meet Again" during WWII. "Whale Meat Again" is an Inuit's lament from the doomed musical "Eskimo Nell" (only joking). Many thanks to FT player grumpygrandma who tells me that Jim Capaldi recorded a song called "Whale Meat Again", which can be found as the 'B' side to "It's All Up To You".

"Fish heads, fish heads, rolly-polly fish heads Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, *yum!* Fish heads, fish heads, rolly-polly fish heads Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, *yum!* Ask a fish head any thing you want to, it wont answer, it can't talk." Do you know which duo wrote and performed this charming little ditty?

Barnes and Barnes. This is something of a cult novelty song with the nonsensical lyrics being delivered in a Chipmunks style. UK listeners to the Anne Nightingale BBC radio show in the 'eighties and 'nineties will probably be familiar with it as it was regularly played on her show. Rather sadly it was never a commercial success. I've just noticed that Destiny's Child have covered the song but I'm not prepared to go there, not even for FunTrivia! Womack and Womack were a successful husband and wife songwriting team who have had some chart success in Britain, most notably with "Footsteps". The Finn brothers, Neil and Tom, are New Zealanders who have worked together with both Split Endz and Crowded House. Ian Gillan was one-time vocalist with Deep Purple and with several other ventures.

The wonderful Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band have had some strangely titled albums and songs over the years. Which one of these is an album title for Don Van Vliet and the boys?

Trout Mask Replica. I guess there aren't too many half measures with Captain Beefheart; you either love him or hate him, I fall into the former camp. "Trout Mask Replica" was first released in 1969 and although it didn't really bother the British album chart compilers at the time, it has come to be regarded as a classic which almost always features on those interminable "Most Influential Album" list and similar lists. The trout is a fish mostly found in freshwater rivers and lakes. Many species exist around the world and most make for delicious eating. The fish featured on the cover of "Trout Mask Replica" is a carp, so not a very good replica then? The John Dory is a deep-bodied sea-fish. "Hunky Dory" was the third album release by David Bowie and rightly regarded as a classic. "Never Mind The Bollocks... Here's The Sex Pistols" was the controversial album by the London punk-rock band. The pollack is yet another member of the cod family. Northern soul was a dance movement in the 'seventies largely based around the Lancashire town of Wigan. Richard Ashcroft of The Verve is a Wigan man and used the play on words for the band's second album, "A Northern Soul". A sole is a type of flatfish.